Reptiles of Massachusetts. 29 
the head, so as to be nearly horizontal above ; first 
pair of plates rather short, breadth decidedly more 
than double the length; second pair rather large, 
oblique, posterior outer angle reaching the eyes; 
central plate convex, rounded ; subtri-angular, wide 
before and angulated on the anterior middle, poste- - 
rior angle acute; posterior plates a little convex, ee 
With a single scale between their tips; eyes with . 
one scale behind, one before twice as long as the 
posterior one, small plate above the eye less than half 
the length of the central plate, and not twice as 
large as the posterior eye plate; teeth minute; 
scales smooth, polished, somewhat opalescent, slight- 
ly convex, rounded at the tip; tail less than one 
seventh the whole length ; tip rather abrupt, conic, 
solid, acute. 
Plates, 124; scales, 25. Total length, ten inches 
and three tenths; tail, one inch and two fifths. : 
Var. a. dark slate color above. 
_A pretty and perfectly harmless serpent. The 
contrast of color between the lively red, sometimes 
rosaceous, of the inferior surface of the body, and the 
brown, more or less deep, of the superior surface, ap: A 
very striking ; the abrupt termination of the tail and 
the narrow head, are also distinguishing traits. It 
is found beneath stones and prostrate logs, but not 
very frequently. = + 
My specimen is seven inches long; tail, one inch ; 
abdominal plates, 136 ; caudal scales, 32 
